BANGKOK, THAILAND – Australian grandmother Lynda Lazaridis woke up without breasts after a botched cosmetic surgery trip to Bangkok. Nipples were placed near her armpits.
Lazaridis told the program 60 Minutes she awoke from the operation with no breasts. Her nipples had been positioned close to her armpits, she reported.
Nipples near armpits after surgery
Despite further surgeries and treatments, she still cannot easily cover her nipples with normal bras and clothing. The scars bother her every day, she said.
The grandmother had lost 15 kilograms, suffered from back pain and had excess skin. A cosmetic surgeon in Bangkok recommended several procedures.
Multiple procedures planned after weight loss
Planned were a buttock lift, inner and outer thigh lifts, liposuction, a so-called reverse tummy tuck and an arm lift. Lazaridis said she had no idea what a reverse tummy tuck was.
She chose the Bangkok clinic because of the much lower costs. In Australia the procedures would have cost more than 200,000 dollars, she stated.
Price tag a fraction of Australian cost
During payment discussions, she was advised to withdraw Australian retirement funds. The surgery was to be reported as treatment for a life-threatening illness, even though it was not urgent.
Plastic surgeon Mark Duncan-Smith, chair of the Australian Medical Association in Western Australia, called the result unacceptable. He described the nipple position as a beginner mistake.
Top doctor blasts beginner mistake
A correction could cause further scars, in his assessment.
said Mark Duncan-Smith, plastic surgeon and chair of the WA doctors association.
The case shows how important it is for foreign patients to clarify the exact scope of procedures, the treating doctor and aftercare, according to the report.
Second patient left with lasting damage
Sophie Tsivoglou also described a bad experience with the same company in 2022 on 60 Minutes. Four years earlier she had achieved a good result there.
After the later procedure she could no longer feel her legs. Scars also remained on parts of the body not part of the treated area.
Risks of medical tourism highlighted
The report points out that lower prices can lure patients into having operations abroad. After returning home, however, longer treatment may be needed if problems arise.
For patients, the key questions remain the exact surgical plan, the treating surgeon and the available aftercare.